Chiang Mai, Thailand

• Food delivery apps (Grab and Tuk) are fast and convenient. 

• There are plenty of cafes and local restaurants within walking distance of CMIS, surrounding areas, and all around the city 

• There are many vegan and vegetarian options too 

Common Thai Cuisine 

• Pad Thai

• Pad Kra Pow (holy basil stir fry)

• Pad See Ew (fatter and chewier noodles than Pad Thai) 

• Khao Soi (coconut based curry noodles)

• Moo Ping and sticky rice (grilled pork) 

• Sai Ua (northern Thailand sausages)

• Som Tam (spicy papaya salad) 

• Gai kra tiem (stir-fry garlic chicken)

• Moo Satay (satay skewers)

• Tom Kha (coconut curry)

• Gang kaew wan (green curry) 

Food in Thailand can be spicy. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for NO SPICY or LESS SPICY. 

Fish sauce is commonly used as an ingredient in many Thai dishes - please be aware of allergies and dietray restrictions 

• When visiting a temple, you must pay attention to the etiquette of the temple in order to avoid having to rent clothes or not be allowed in at all. All temples have a point where you remove your shoes and leave them outside. Women are typically not allowed in with exposed shoulders, in some cases arms, and in most cases pants or long skirts are allowed, but less than this will keep you out of the temple. For men, long shorts that cover the knees can be acceptable, as well as t-shirts, but no tank tops and hats should be removed inside the temple. Some places, including Doi Suthep, or the Queen Sirikit Gardens (just past Doi Suthep) have more strict dress codes and you could be asked to rent ‘coverings’ in order to enter.

• In terms of cultural expectations, most Thais will put their hands together and bow toward you in what is known as the wai (pronounced why). This is a sign of respect and if there are younger Thais who wai you, you do not need to wai them in return. However, they will wai when they greet you, wai when they say thank you, they will wai when they say goodbye to you. So you will get wai-ed a lot, even at the grocery store the clerk will put her hands together at her stomach and wai you as you leave. There are also three levels of the wai.

  • • lowest level wai: hands in front of you, palms together, stomach or mid-chest level, and bow slightly; most common for greetings, thank you, everyday events that you interact with

    • mid-level wai: hands in front of you, palms together, mouth or chin level, and bow a bit deeper; more common for paying respect to important people, elders, government officials

    • high-level wai: hands in front of you, palms together, forehead level, a deep bow; this is limited to when you wai people in the Royal family, or very specific religious figures

• DO NOT discuss the Thai Royal Family in any negative manner. There are lese majeste laws in Thailand that can have you arrested and even convicted for speaking negatively against the King, his family, even some of the relatives of the Royals. Be careful who you are talking with as well, as some people have said things in ‘confidence’, but then have been reported.

• If money happens to fall on the ground and start to blow away, DO NOT try to stop it by putting your foot on it! There are pictures of Royal family members, including the King on the front of all bills, and this is considered a major No No as your foot is the dirtiest part of your body.

• DO NOT point with your foot either, it is considered very impolite. If you put your foot near someone’s head, you could end up in a very heated discussion or even be physically confronted as it is one of the most impolite actions you can do in Thailand.

• When buying items in the malls and markets, most prices are clearly indicated. The stores in malls or businesses where you go into a shop typically do not allow bartering. However, bartering and offering a lower price is OK in most circumstances when dealing with outdoor/open-air markets or vendors on the street. Food prices are not typically going to change, but if you are buying more than one of an item like clothing, gifts, or other items, you may find you get a better deal if you ask. Don’t always expect it, but this is also where knowing a bit of Thai is helpful, especially the numbers! Also, don’t be insulting with your offer. Less than 50% of the original price quoted probably won’t happen.

• When greeting others, no matter what time of the day, more than likely you will hear the greeting: sawasdee kha/khrab (sa-wa-dee ka/krab). This is the standard greeting in Thai, and the difference between Kha and Khrab is that if you are a woman, you end your greeting in Kha and if you are a man, you end your greeting in Khrab. This is also the case for other things like Thank You (Khob khun kha/khrab), or if you listen to formal speaking on the news channel, they will also end sentences with the saying kha/khrab to indicate a full stop.

• Tourism is quite widespread in northern Thailand which has led to there being many bars and dance clubs in town. Some of the area hotels offer special events at their restaurants on holidays (some really good deals). A few of them also have nice pools, spas and gyms for non-guest use. Most of the tourism also advertises to the adventurers of Thailand - ziplining, hiking, waterfalls, trekking, etc. You can book many of these from the internet, or from local shops in the area that offer them around the east side of the city, as many tourists frequent this area. There is also a large bar area with Muay Thai and a few other places to enjoy the nightlife of the city. On the west side, Nimman has a lot of outdoor venues as well.

• Massages are available for a reasonable price throughout the city. Traditional Thai massages are known to be aggressive / firm. You can ask them to go easy on you. 

• There is a large area referred to as Night Bazaar in the central area of Chiang Mai, on the east side of the city (by the Tha Phae Gate to the River Ping) and it’s possible to find a wide variety of handicrafts and souvenir items. This is open every night, year round, and items here can be a bit more pricey than in the other markets as they do cater to the tourists.

• In areas outside the city it’s possible to visit the places where many of the handicrafts are produced. 

• On Saturday evenings there is a street market on the south side of the city, called the Wua Lai walking street market.

• On Sunday evenings, there are several street vendors who set up on the inside of the city wall, from the Tha Phae gate inwards, for one of the best walking markets available.

• Warorot Market – Warorot is in a section of the city that consists of weaving, winding streets with shop after shop filled with different products. Almost anything a person would want can be found somewhere in the market if you have patience enough to look for it. But there are markets across the city.

• Fruit/Vegetable Markets – There are a couple of places around the city that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Usually the prices at the stands will be lower than the prices in the supermarkets. Often the produce in the vegetable stands has not been washed but is perfectly fine otherwise. Availability of certain fruits or vegetables at the markets and stalls will depend on the growing season.

• Flower Market – Located across the Ping River from CMIS, it offers a wide selection of flowers AND a great place to get lost in a busy neighborhood.

Day Trips/Landmarks Around Chiang Mai

There are several places that can make for interesting day/weekend trips from Chiang Mai. You can drive yourself or arrange to be taken by some sort of public transport means. 

• Doi Suthep

• Doi Inthanon

• Pai

• Kayaking

• Hiking groups: Facebook Group: Chiang Mai “Walk and Talk” Hiking

• Wat Umong

• Wat Chedi Luang

• Mae Rim

• Mae Tang

• Chiang Dao

• San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

Muay Thai is the national combat sport of Thailand. You can find Muay Thai gyms throughout the city. 

• BBN Boxing Gym  

At Tha Pae gate and the Night Bazar, you can watch Muay Thai fights at night time (after 9pm).

• Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden: http://www.qsbg.org/QSBGenglishweb/ 

• CMU Reservoir: Chiang Mai University has an artificial lake surrounded by a walking trail, fields for dogs to run and play, and provides a nice space to recharge. Information about the area can be found here: https://www.chiangmaitravelhub.com/attractions/ang-kaew-reservoir/ 

• Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium: https://chiangmai.zoothailand.org/en/index.php 

• Chiang Mai Night Safari: https://chiangmainightsafari.com/en/ 

• Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park: https://www.facebook.com/PoopoopaperPark/ 

• Flight of the Gibbon zipline: https://www.flightofthegibbon.com/en/locations/chiang-mai 

• Pongyang Jungle Coaster & zipline: https://www.facebook.com/Pongyangjunglecoasterandzipline/ 

Medical Services in Chiang Mai

There is a hospital not far from the school called McCormick Hospital. The school uses this facility for any emergencies. Teachers also tend to use this facility for personal medical needs. While there are many other hospitals around the city, the foreign staff may find more English speaking staff members at Chiang Mai RAM Hospital (Northwest corner of the city), or the Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai (located on the east side of the city, just off the Super Highway). 

Bangkok Hospital: https://www.bangkokhospital-chiangmai.com/en/ 

Chiang Mai RAM Hospital: https://www.chiangmairam.com/ 

Pharmacies in Chiang Mai

There are numerous pharmacies throughout Chiang Mai that teachers can visit to get the medicines they need. Many of these have pharmacists on site to help with diagnosing less severe issues and providing medicines. In the malls, you can find pharmacies readily in the lower level, and typically Boots and Watsons are the most common. There are also larger companies like Fascino that are not found in the malls, but around the city.